2. Maya, 8, and Kishore, 13, pose for a wedding photo inside their new home, the day after the Hindu holy day of Akshaya Tritiya, called Akha Teej in North
India. Despite legislation forbidding child marriage in India (Child Marriage Restraint Act-1929) and the much more progressive Prohibition of Child Marriage
Act (2006) and many initiatives to prevent child marriage, marrying children off at a very tender age continues to be accepted by large sections of society.
(Photo by Stephanie Sinclair/VII Photo Agency)

3. Tahani, 8, is seen with her husband Majed, 27, and her former classmate Ghada, 8, and her husband outside their home in Hajjah, Yemen, July 26, 2010.
(Photo by Stephanie Sinclair/VII Photo Agency)

4. Bishal, 15, accepts gifts from visitors as Surita, 16, sits bored at her new home Kagati Village, Kathmandu Valley, Nepal on January 29 ,2007. Early marriage is a
harmful traditional practice common in Nepal. The Kagati village, a Newar community, is most will known for its propensity towards this practice. Many Hindu
families believe blessings will come upon them if marry off their girls before their first menstruation. (Photo by Stephanie Sinclair/VII Photo Agency)

5. Rajni, 5, is seen just after waking up before her wedding ceremony in Rajasthan, India on April 28, 2009. (Photo by Stephanie Sinclair/VII Photo Agency)

6. Asia Albuss Al Ali, 14, rests just days after giving birth to her second child in Hajjah, Yemen.

8. Faiz, 40, and Ghulam, 11, sit in her home prior to their wedding in rural Afghanistan, September 11, 2005. Ghulam said she is sad to be getting engaged as she wanted to be a
teacher. Her favorite class was Dari, the local language, before she was made to drop out of school. Married girls are seldom found in school, limiting their economic and
social opportunities. Parents sometimes remove their daughters from school to protect them from the possibility of sexual activity outside of wedlock. It is hard to say exactly
how many young marriages take place, but according to the Afghan women's ministry and women's NGOs, approximately 57 percent of Afghan girls get married before the
legal age of 16. In addition, once the girl's father has agreed to the engagement, she is pulled out of school immediately. Early pregnancies also result in an increase in
complications during child birth. (Photo by Stephanie Sinclair/VII Photo Agency)

9. Village leader Pudke blesses the home of Surita, 16, directly following the wedding ceremony in Kagati Village, Kathmandu Valley, Nepal on January 24 , 2007.
(Photo by Stephanie Sinclair/VII Photo Agency)

10. Shreshta Balami Surita, 16, cries in protest while being carried in a marriage procession to their new home with Bishal Shreshta Balami, 15, in the Village of
Kagati, Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. Early marriage is a common traditional practice in Nepal. La Villa de Kagati a Newar community is guided by well-known for
this practice. Many Hindu families believe that blessings will come if you marry off their daughters before menarche.

11. Sarita, 15, covered in sweat and tears before being sent to their new home with her ​​fiance. The day before, she and her sister Maya 8 years married
another pair of brothers in the Hindu Holy Day Akshaya Triyita, Akha Teej in Rajasthan, India.

13. Kaushal y Rajni durante su ceremonia matrimonial temprano en la mañana en Rajastán, India.

15. After celebrating with female relatives in your wedding party, the Yemeni wives were Galiyaah Sidaba and veils and are escorted to a new life with their
husbands. Sanaa, Yemen.

16. Maya, 8, and Kishore, 13, India. Family members escort the newly married Maya and Kishore to his family's home. They were married on the Hindu holy day
of Akshaya Tritiya, which is said to bring good luck and is widely known in Rajasthan as the day for child marriages. (Photo by Stephanie Sinclair/VII Photo
Agency)

17. Sumeena, 15, leaves her home to meet her groom, Prakash, 16, in Kagati Village, Kathmandu Valley, Nepal on Jan. 24, 2007. (Photo by Reuters/Stringer)